A Certain World Unknown
by soulcage
Summary: It was only when the darkness hiding in Academy City began to wane that a change occured. As a shadow to that Hero, the Strongest receded back to the peaceful world close to him without knowing that an unknown force will come to invade.
1. A Turn for the Worst 1

**So, I was rummaging through my unfinished drafts to see if I ever wrote anything about Accelerator, and there was one, deep, deep down my pile of forgotton notes. I've been wanting to get back to writing for a while now, but didn't know where to start. That was how this thing came into existence. I hope using all the experience I gained from writing the previous ones, this will turn out a bit better. And hopefully I'll get to enjoy it too.**

 **Many thanks to the guys who beta'd this for me: hubb(don't know what your ff name is), NapkinBox, botman, and xMikaelx(?). And to the guys who keep telling me I'll never be popular: SilverFang88 and Darkbetrayer.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1 - A Turn for the Worst 1**

Footsteps came down in an unsteady rhythm followed by a cane thumping the floorboards. It was a little late in the morning when a certain demon-eyed, white-haired boy yawned in front of a luxurious living room apartment. Scratching his head, he looked left and right before setting his eyes on the tall woman with long hair who was wearing a tracksuit in the kitchen far across the living room.

"Is breakfast done yet, Yomikawa?" He grumbled as he slumped against a wooden chair of the dining table. The entirety of his sweater was wrinkled and unsightly.

The TV in the living room showed a weather forecast of Academy City where a lady wearing a professional suit pointed at various districts, but all in all, there was a 100% chance of snow.

Placing a mug of hot coffee and a platter of freshly cooked breakfast in front of him, Yomikawa turned to the broadcast as she sat herself, a beaming smile appeared across her face. "Looks like we're having an early snow season! What nice timing, Last Order was complaining endlessly about the lack of snow. It's a good thing Kikyou bought a new heater and kotatsu." Said kotatsu had eventually replaced the coffee table as the new centerpiece of the spacious living room. Two noisy Misaka's had already fell victim to the cozy furniture yesterday. But they were currently not there, which brought a question to Accelerator.

"Where are those two annoying brats?" The boy glanced around the apartment but could not see or hear the problematic girls' presence.

"They already got up earlier this morning cause Kikyou needed them to do some errands. They'll probably be back this afternoon. Now, let's eat up. We're going to have a long day ahead of us."

Accelerator didn't look at all interested and gave priority to satiating his thirst for caffeine, but his hand stopped without warning. "Hey! This is that brat's cup." He pointed a finger towards the green coffee mug with cute, little printed animal character designs.

Yomikawa looked puzzled. "What's wrong with that? Not like it's broken or anything." She shrugged and smiled as if a mother toying with her little boy.

"Tch." Clicking his tongue, Accelerator stood up carefully and grabbed his crutch and the cup.

The head of this apartment tried to restrain her laughter but couldn't help herself as she observed the boy's silly behavior. She took a bite from her breakfast just like the usual routine of this household as she watched him walk over to the cupboard to take out his personal mug. He came back with a plain white mug lacking any kind of design.

Although he was far from being cold towards Last Order, Accelerator was still aloof towards the rest. In all honesty, she hoped that one day this boy would grow out of this habit. Mere possessions should not isolate him from his current family.

"How obstinate." She let out a wry smile. "You know, back in the day when Kikyou and I were still studying, we used to sleep over at the other person's house all the time. We even shared the same clothes occasionally."

"You two are just weird," he spat out.

Then they ate in silence, ignoring the sound of the television in the background which gave showed advertisements one after another. Yomikawa was lost deep in thought, recalling all the girls and boys who had been in his shoes in the past. If he had not been there, they would have ended following a totally different path. A path which leads to self-destruction.

Now it was the boy's turn.

Yomikawa's eyes fell to his face as she said in a voice which tried reached out to the depths of his heart, "You must be lonely staying here every day."

As the words reached his ears and resounded in his mind, Accelerator halted from picking on his food and looked up at her, trying to read the thoughts hiding beyond her serious face for the meaning in her words, although he already had a vague idea.

"It's not healthy that you are always so isolated all the time. If you'd like, I can reapply you again at the school I'm teaching at," she suggested concern evident in her voice. "You'll surely get in no problem since it's you we are talking about. But make no mistake, academics is not the thing we're worrying about you. Education is secondary compared to you developing a social life. You'll get to meet lots of different people your age, experience high school life. There are a lot of things you can gain from school that Kikyou and I can't provide you with."

Accelerator's expression remained indifferent as Yomikawa's concern reached him. The lady wanted to hear the deepest thoughts running through the Number One's mind, to break the boundaries separating them. But as expected, he didn't budge one bit.

As he shifted his gaze from the woman's dazzling face to his breakfast, he remembered the hundreds of times the apartment was filled with loud shouts as two young girls argued like two angry lions over some trivial reason. "Sounds boring. There'd be no point for the already greatest honor student in all of Academy City to be studying still. The peace and quiet is what makes it great. Especially when those two are out with Kikyou somewhere."

Indifferent. Cold. The Number One had those traits.

He said them out loud as if it was only natural. It seemed as though they would remain until the end of time.

When they finished, Accelerator had nothing else to do but waste the day away like a dry fish sitting out on the sun. An all out war could have erupted in some part of the globe, but it was none of his concern. He grabbed the modern crutch beside him and made his way over to his usual spot on the sofa and switched the channel away from the boring news to something more of his taste, like pro wrestling or the history channel. There was no other way to describe how he slumped over the comfy couch but like a slob.

But as soon as he pressed on the remote, it fell from his hand, or more accurately, his hand lost all of its strength and let go of the remote. Soon after, his brain became completely clouded with static as he fell back on the armrest. His attention was drawn towards the electrode connected to his choker.

The light wasn't on.

With little control, his hand moved upwards with all the guidance he could provide it with, but that did not stop it from shaking uncontrollably. Once he reached the electrode, he fumbled around with it for the switch, but even after he pressed on it, the electrode remained dead. It should have enough power to last 3 days, and he was not stupid enough to leave it uncharged while he slept. Something was obviously wrong with the device he depended on.

The electrode did not turn on until a minute later.

It had been acting up these past few days at random times. He had it checked with the frog doctor as disconnecting the device would completely shut him down. The doctor could not pinpoint the cause in the end. He specialized in the restoration of the human body after all, but he promised that he would ask a colleague of his for help. It had been a week since then.

Accelerator stood up and threw the remote away. He walked over to Yomikawa who was cleaning up the kitchen. "Hey, take me to the hospital where that frog-faced doctor works."

"What's wrong?" The woman raised an eyebrow, stopping her chore for a moment.

"It's none of your business. Just take me there."

The woman gave a thoughtful look as she took Accelerator's request to mind. But her reply was only a carefree one. "That's alright with me, but can it wait?"

"Ahn?" He glared at her with his pure red eyes as he leaned on his crutch.

"I have some matters to take care of at school, so I can't give you a ride right now. But if you wait a bit, I'll take you to anywhere you want afterwards. Oh, why don't you come with me? You have nothing to do today anyway, and it's best to get exercise with that state you're in." Yomikawa smiled with a look of someone with a plan in mind.

The boy scratched the back of his head in annoyance. It was not that he disliked the idea of walking around, it was that problems could occur while he was out in public. He couldn't go to the hospital alone since he didn't know when the electrode might malfunction again. "You're gonna force me even if I say no, aren't you?"

Yomikawa's smile widened. "I'm glad we understand each other."

Accelerator went back upstairs to his room while Yomikawa washed the dishes, humming to a carefree tune as if something good happened. When he returned in his white windbreaker, the boy found his landlord at the doorstep, spinning her keys around her finger.

They went out and headed towards the basement parking area.

"You're not seriously going out in a tracksuit, are you? Don't you have other clothing options to choose from?" Accelerator buckled his seatbelt as soon he entered the car.

"Think of it as battle armor. I wouldn't be able to calm down if I'm not wearing this at school."

From the passenger seat, Accelerator turned his gaze outside. The scenery outside had become a pure white city of snow. Everywhere the cold held a firm grasp. As usual, the city was filled with activity even with the snow gently falling down. Thankfully, Yomikawa's car was well conditioned for providing a comfortable temperature. It drove by the streets with ease. Accelerator might have been curious about how this ordinary teacher chose this model. He was actually curious about a lot of things about her, but he was not the type to just connect with anyone just like that.

As the economic, and relatively fast, car drove around from corner to corner, the white-haired boy spotted a group of Tokiwadai students walking along the streets, the one in front was waving an oriental fan while the other two behind her seemed to be nodding in agreement to whatever she was talking about.

Their ride finally ended when they reached a certain high school, which made Accelerator scowl.

"You didn't tell me you had class." He said as he set foot in the parking area reserved for teachers only.

"Sorry about that, I still have work to do after all since it's the weekday. Of course, you're free to stay in the staff office. I'm sure none of my colleagues would mind." The teacher said as she locked her car and put her keys in her pocket.

"So in the end, I'll be sitting around all day? Well, it's not like I have problems with that," replied the boy with a hint of annoyance.

"That's up to you." Yomikawa started towards the direction of the school building reserved for first years. "You're free to go wherever you wish. We can just meet up at the staff office when I'm done."

Regardless of what his plan was, the boy reluctantly followed her into the tall school building he had already seen before moving into Yomikawa's apartment. The hallways were unexpectedly quiet. She slid a door open and stepped inside. The staff room was what you'd imagine it to be. It was a room with teachers organizing their things for their lectures.

Yomikawa Aiho was one of the friendliest teachers in the school, and surprisingly enough, was popular with everyone. Left behind by this teacher who started her usual routine of greeting her peers, Accelerator walked in minding his own business when a small kid, no, a small teacher bumped into him.

"Huh? O-oh, you're here again? Did you decide to transfer to this school after all? I don't know how I'll manage if you become one of my students. I already have enough troublemakers as is," said the small teacher Tsukuyomi Komoe.

"If you keep hiding the secret of your eternal youth, then I just might."

Using the secret art of the "polite bow and turn around to escape to escape that Level 5's frightening glare", the small teacher left for her class in a hurry.

"You can stay at my desk in the meantime. I only have two lessons to give out today, so I won't be away for long." Yomikawa approached him with an arm full of documents.

"Just make it quick," was the only thing that boy said before taking a seat. The teacher waved him goodbye before leaving.

Putting an elbow on the desk and leaning against his hand, the boy was left with nothing to do but fiddle with his phone for the remainder of the quiet hour as the teachers left one at a time. It was not at all cold inside the faculty office because of the space heaters the teachers put up at the four corners of the large room. Accelerator however still rubbed his hands occasionally and yawned. He replaced the awful silence with the entertainment from his phone.

It remained that way until he felt the unbearable boredom of the silent staff room.

"To hell with this!" He stood up and left the room. The hall was a quiet passage with windows tightly closed to prevent the snow from coming inside. The open path was brightly lit by the sunlight being refracted by the frosty surface. He heard loud cheering from the grounds outside after taking several steps. Through the cold glass window, he saw a baseball field partially freed of white frost. The students there must have shovelled it away before starting their baseball practice. Though the grounds werestill difficult to tread, the team was having an intense practice match.

Accelerator watched them in silent admiration, or was it astonishment? Or maybe it was just the winter's effect playing tricks on him. A simple change of the environment could have an impactful change on one's cognition. It was the first time he saw an atmosphere like that surrounded by the quiet of the school building.

Nothing was amiss. The school was like a quiet temple of learning as it should be.

Although it had a lot of facilities, the majority of the students were still in class. Accelerator walked around the school building looking for something interesting to do, but there was nothing that piqued his interest.

Before he knew it, he had gone full circle around this certain school.

Opening the door the west wing of the faculty office, he saw two students standing around near the entrance.

"Is Tsukuyomi-sensei around? Our teacher hasn't shown up, so we have nothing to do," the blue-haired boy called out to the empty room.

"It doesn't look like she's here. H-hey, don't just barge in like that," said another voice which belonged to the girl behind him.

The blue-haired boy made his way towards the middle row of the staff room without stopping. "I think her desk is this way. She must be secretly dozing off just like those rumors say about how teachers spend their free time during the winter season. Hm?"

Accelerator ignored the two students and walked toward Yomikawa's desk.

"Ahh! Hey, do you by any chance know where a tiny kid? W-whoaahh, it's like staring at a light novel character. Do you see this, Fukiyose?" The blue-haired boy said in surprise once he saw Accelerator turn to face him.

"Don't be rude, Aogami. Umm..." The girl named Fukiyose Seiri approached the red-eyed boy. "Might you happen to know where Komoe-sensei is?"

"You mean that kid? She left a while ago. Don't know where."

"She must have a different class." Aogami stepped in, scratching his head. "Say, have I seen you somewhere before?"

"Hm?"

"Could you be some sort of secret bodyguard assigned to Komoe-sensei?!"

"Where the hell did that come from?" spat out the boy. He was already getting fed up with this weirdo's nonsense.

Aogami put a hand to his chin. "This is just a theory of mine, but there's some kind of odd aura around you that gives out a special feeling of danger. I see, that must be it."

"If you have nothing better to do, then go back to whatever boring class you are trying to escape." Accelerator replied without much thought.

"Ehhh? You're no fun." The blue haired boy swatted the other boy's shoulder. "I was just kidding. Oh, by the way, my name's Aogami Pierce, and this girl here is my girlfriend, Fukiyose Seiri."

"Hey, you idiot! You can't just blurt stuff like that out of nowhere." The red-faced Fukiyose sent a devastating blow towards his gut with her first. A feeling of thunder coursing through his entire body made Aogami lose all feeling and drop down.

Accelerator watched the two while wondering how this guy could continue to cope with being a ragdoll for this girl.

"Excuse him, he's just being a little arrogant lately," pointed out the girl as she looked away from the wreckage that was leaning against one of the desks."

"How bothersome," quietly whispered the white-haired boy. "If you must know my name, then you're out of luck. I don't have any. But people just call me Accelerator. Now can you two get lost?"

Fukiyose and Aogami, who was breathing heavily yet managed to stand up, looked at each other and then back at him. "That's a weird name." They replied unison to which Accelerator merely clicked his tongue.

In the end, the two forgot about their original objective and just stayed there chattering nonstop, although Accelerator speculated they just didn't want to return to their classroom and were just playing hooky. What they did was none of their concern, so he just merely leaned on Yomikawa's desk and observed whatever in his surroundings he found interesting. For example, a framed picture of her Anti-Skill teammates sat on her desk, and another framed picture of what looked like her class participating in a Daihaseisai event.

"Say, I'm kinda hungry," Aogami said all of a sudden. "Why don't we go grab a bite to eat at the cafeteria. I hear they've restocked on soba bread."

Fukiyose sighed. "There'll be a lot of people if that wretched soba bread is back."

"You coming, Accelerator?"

As if on cue, his stomach protested about wanting more nourishment. Accelerator stood up with his cane in hand and lightly brushed past them. "Are you guys coming or what?" His head turned to look at them, annoyed by their slow response.

The two quickly caught up and lead the boy towards the cafeteria where lunch was being prepared.

It was for a short period of time when they ate together under the same table. Aogami endlessly rattled about the new eroge coming out, and Fukiyose not missing the opportunity to put him in line. The Level 5 quietly noticed this alien scene playing out in front of him.

Could it be that if he had been a normal high school boy, he would have experienced this sooner?

Could this be something that that Level 0 experienced on a daily basis?

A world where one can look at the past without seeing blood and countless deaths. And a future which held numerous smiling faces patting his back and supporting him, all of his burdens released from his back.

It was on the opposite side of the spectrum. With all the espers studying in Academy City, that was the only thing that was withheld from him. As he had climbed to greater heights, the more it was closed off from him. What if it had been different?

They were useless thoughts of circumstances he could not change, but to a degree, pondering about them was as addictive as crack. It was sweet as honey yet with a painful aftertaste.

Accelerator stood up and left without replying to the two who were waving him goodbye.

He decided that this will be the last time he'll experience such a blissful dream.

Only that girl who he was looking after was entitled to such a thing.

It should have been like that.

Out of nowhere, his shoulder bumped into something.

"Ugh!"

"Kya!"

He stumbled to the opposite wall where he grasped the solid concrete for support.

"I'm so sorry!" cried out the girl who was knocked back along with him.

Accelerator's eyes noticed first the sailor uniform. Then he looked up to examine the face.

The girl looked at him curiously. Maybe it was because of his clothes. He was the only one there not wearing a uniform after all. Maybe it was because of his appearance. Or maybe it was because he had been staring for too long. Nonetheless, she remembered the errands she had to do for class and ran off.

The boy stood there wondering what just happened. But eventually, he remembered his appointment with Yomikawa.

"Oh, so you've been taking a walk around. Good, good. How did you like our school?" Yomikawa smiled as she placed her hands on her hips.

"I had time to kill." He shrugged. "Anyway, are you done with whatever it is you need to do?"

She nodded.

They got in their car again and left the school where they were yet again surprised by the abundance of white which became more apparent than it was that morning. But the snow had already stopped at this point.

Yomikawa dropped the boy off at the hospital where he went straight to see the doctor. She suspected that was he was going to see, there was nobody else he was acquainted within that hospital after all.

She had to wait an hour before she got a call again from him. When she came round the entrance, he didn't say anything, but he had a troubled look on him. Even if she asked what the matter was, he would only give her a vague reply.

* * *

She resembled Academy City's Number Three to a frightening degree yet she wore an evil-looking face.

Yet, she was not the Number Three but another reproduction from a project called "The Third Season." She contained all the negative emotions that the Misaka Network held and was without a doubt a troublemaker, an instrument to take down The Strongest. But it did not remain that way for long. Thanks to the efforts of the Number One, however, she was the first and last clone of that project.

And that same clone was looking disgusted while wearing a sailor uniform as she stepped inside his own room. The uniform itself did not at all looked decent because of the loose red cloth which should've been tied together in between her chest.

Accelerator looked up from the thick engineering guidebook he was reading and frowned as if witnessing a horrible prank failing miserably. "What the hell happened to you?"

"You tell me. Those two came onto me the other day and told me they were planning to send me off to school, and now I'm here with this frivolous looking thing. I'm having trouble comprehending why high school girls wear such skirts. It's as if a slight breeze would show my private parts." Misaka Worst pointed at her navy blue uniform which actually suited her to an odd degree.

He didn't understand why she was taking this problem to him as if he was her parent. "That's why you wear something underneath, you idiot. Ever heard of underwear?"

"Eh? No one told me that."

"Oi! Oi! Don't flash me what's under your skirt like that! Did you develop some kind of twisted kink or something!" Accelerator threw the thick book at her which she dodged within a split second thanks to her combat ability.

With a tone that sounded like a tired request than a rant, Misaka Worst got closer and said, "Anyway, that's not what I came here for. I don't care whichever path they put me on, with all the time I have, I would much rather do something that won't make me feel bored. I'm only a clone after all, so I have never experienced these things normal people do. I don't know the point of going to school though, they say it'll help me prepare for the future, but what kind of future are we talking about here? It just doesn't make any sense to me."

"Just what the hell do you want to say? Get straight to the point already." Accelerator wanted to stand and pick up the book so he could continue his reading, but she was standing way too close and was blocking the bed's side.

Without warning, the girl with the nice body climbed on top of the bed with an evil smile plastered on her face, her collar drifted loosely away from her chest, revealing her overexposed abdomen from the rear side. A generous amount of cleavage was on the display for him to see as she got on all fours. "I'm trying to say that isn't this the perfect opportunity?"

That statement made Accelerator frown while Worst licked her lips. "What the hell are you talking about?" He answered with a question of his own.

As if on cue, she put a finger at the edge of the collar and pulled it down. "What else? Isn't this the part when two high school students do the nasty? I may not understand what it is that people get so hyped about it, but I do understand that I have a great body and boys can't resist being tempted to see it. Ufufu... if that kid gets wind of this, then I'm sure her opinion of you will fall into rock bottom."

A large palm grabbed her entire face and shoved her away from the bed. Misaka Worst rolled backwards and hit the floor with her back. It did not take her long to recover, however. "I'm joking! Joking! Like I'd let you experience my first time, although putting that loud brat to tears and shattering your relationship is tempting. I should take note of this."

"If you have nothing better to say, I'll kick you out of the apartment myself."

"Wait! Alright, I'll get straight to it!" Misaka Worst stood up and patted her sailor uniform. "Basically, I want you to come with me."

"Huh?" There must have been a glitch in her cloned organs which made her interpret a weird set of words, and Accelerator was having a hard time deciphering what she meant.

Misaka Worst did not want to repeat herself and hoped she didn't have to. She sighed. "Do you really think an oddball like me can fit in a room full of students who haven't experienced the disgusting side of Academy City just like that? Of course not! It doesn't take a genius to realize that. Therefore, I need someone as a guardian who will assist me in my newfound school life."

Accelerator was still having a hard time taking in what she was saying, but he had an idea.

"So with that..." The brunette let out a devious smile fitting of a true villain underneath her dark expression. " _Good luck, tou-san._ "

The boy was left dumbfounded as she made her quick escape out of the room.

"Hey! Get back here, you damn brat!" It was no secret that he was too slow to get up and take his crutch. He came stumbling down the hall and the stairs, trying to catch up to her.

He arrived at the kitchen to find Yoshikawa sipping coffee while the little girl Last Order was pounding at her with weak punches and complaining at how she was being unfair. Behind the adult was the perpetrator in the sailor uniform, Misaka Worst, who was letting out a creepy laugh.

"Hey! What's the meaning of this, Yoshikawa?" Accelerator stepped in.

"Oh, guardian, these two have been pestering me ever since we came back from the school administration. Can't you take these two outside so they can cool off?"

Both of the Misakas yelled at her at the same time claiming that they were not pets.

"Just what the hell does she meant that she is in need of a guardian?" He slammed his fist at a nearby counter. The sound reverberated throughout the apartment.

Ignoring the boy's rage, Misaka Worst stuck her tongue out at him while Last Order continued to plead with the adult.

Meanwhile, Yoshikawa was pretty tired already from all the bickering between the clones, so she let out an exasperated sigh and pushed herself away from the other two. Without the barrier holding them back, the girls ran away to a different part of the apartment past Accelerator.

Accelerator took another step and came face to face with Yoshikawa.

"Well," mumbled Yoshikawa as her eyes looked elsewhere as if pondering on what to do with this difficult subject. "We've been planning on what to do with you three for some time now. We can't just leave you all in hiding from the outside world. It's important to ease you into society in order for you to cope with everybody else. Last Order is still clearly under surveillance due to what happened recently. However, you and Misaka Worst are a different story. You two can take care of yourselves should anything happen."

The boy admitted that was true. He and Worst were highly capable of fending off danger by themselves.

"So, Aiho suggested to bring back her original plan. She discussed it with the teaching staff as well and there weren't any problems. And-"

Before she could finish what she was saying, Accelerator suddenly stopped in his tracks as if he just realized a very important fact to which Yoshikawa shot a questioning look.

"So that's why she was acting like that this morning. She even asked me herself, but that didn't matter cause regardless of what I would say, you two were already steps ahead of me!" the boy cut right in.

"Hey now, just stay calm. We know you would be against the idea, but think about it. If we left Misaka Worst on her own at school, there's no telling what kind of trouble she would get herself into." Yoshikawa waved her hands in front of her in the hopes that it would fan the flames away from the Level 5.

"Tch." He did not at all seem surprised. As Yoshikawa waited for his words, his mind switched gears. Yomikawa had her heart in the right place. If anything, he was annoyed by what was expected of him regarding Misaka Worst. Dealing with that pile of negative emotions was like asking for a catastrophe. That thought was unpleasant by itself. Misaka Worst was a girl oblivious to common sense. She will no doubt get into trouble if left alone in public like inside a school. She could pick fights with some random esper or threaten a teacher.

"Don't worry, Aiho will make sure you'll get acquainted at her school." She placed a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder and gave him some gentle pats. "Anyway it's up to you now, guardian. Make sure she doesn't get into trouble."

Once she brushed past him, the person he least liked the most in this apartment ran at him at full speed, crashing into him and forcing both to fall hard painfully into the wooden floor. Accelerator let out a loud yelp. Before he knew it, his head was spinning around after a heavy hit on the back of his head.

"Shi-shit, thanks to that girl's transmitting all her sobering throughout the Misaka Network, even I'm getting affected by it! Ughhh! ahhhh!" A waterfall was raging down her cheek which gradually dropped down into his chest. Misaka Worst rubbed the snot that was leaking from her nose and brushed it against the boy's sweater. "Make her stop damn it! Waahhhh!"

* * *

A couple of hours earlier, a tiny event happened at a certain high school.

A girl had dashed across the campus was now breathlessly standing in front of a classroom. A drop of sweat fell from her face.

Standing in front of her looking worried was the tiny teacher, Komoe.

"Where were you Hanayagi-chan?! I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"Sorry, Komoe-sensei, I was walking from my dorm to this school but got lost along the way. I hope I'm not too late." She smiled weakly and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"Thankfully, homeroom is just starting. Come on now. I'll introduce you to my class." Komoe turned around and open the sliding door leading to her classroom.

Inside, the students were walking about and talking to their friends about some random topic.

The interior was not as cold as the hallway thanks to the heater, which Komoe was grateful for because she had been running around trying to find the transfer student.

"Ahem!" She made her voice apparent once she stepped in front of the class.

The students ran back to their seats once they saw her return.

"I know this is a bit sudden, but a student has transferred to our class and will remain with us for the rest of the semester." She turned to the doorway where the girl was shaking from nervousness. "Come over here and introduce yourself, Hanayagi-chan."

It was one of the greatest known fears every young student shared.

This particular student had heard of the saying "First impressions were your last."

But due to the kind teacher who had been helping her prepare for school since she enrolled, there was no option to back out now.

The girl named Hanayagi walked forward awkwardly like a broken wind-up toy towards the center. She moved her eyes from the floor and immediately saw the countless faces looking at her. She jumped up like a scared cat and took a moment to compose herself.

"M-My name i-is Hanayagi Ri-Ri-Rinko." She bowed. "Nice to meet you all."

She did it. She passed the final test. Tsukuyomi Komoe was glad.

"Now then…" Komoe clapped her hand and smiled. "Please take that seat behind Kamijou-chan."

* * *

 **END AN:**

 **To start things off, It's important to give a more thorough background about Misaka Worst without spoiling too much.**

 **Misaka Worst is a canon character which appears in the later volumes of OT. She is what you could call a black sheep of the clone family. All the negative emotions the clones ever felt, which was further magnified thanks to their worst enemy Accelerator, gathered into this clone's persona. One could even say Accelerator is the reason she exists. That was why she calls him "Tou-san"("Dad" in weeb speak).**

 **Now for the non-canon character in this story, Hanayagi Rinko. Hmm... not much I could say yet about this character except for the fact that she is a new transfer student.**

 **That's all I could think of at the moment.**

 **Now then, gib review if you please.**


	2. A Turn for the Worst 2

**This chapter took longer than I expected. I'm grateful for all the reviews, and I apologize that the second chapter took such a long time as I had a lot on my plate. In any case, thanks to botman and anand for beta'ing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2 - A Turn for the Worst 2**

"I'm glad homeroom is just starting. Come on now. I'll introduce you to my class." The tiny teacher named Komoe spoke with her usual calm smile as she motioned for the transfer student to come follow her to the front of the class.

The interior of the classroom was not as cold as the hallway thanks to the heater, which Komoe was grateful for because she had been running around through the cold trying to find the transfer student.

"Ahem!" Komoe gathered the attention with her voice once she stepped in front of the class. "I know this is a bit sudden, but a student has transferred to our class and will remain with us for the rest of the semester." She turned to the doorway where the girl was shaking from nervousness. "Come over here and introduce yourself, Hanayagi-chan."

It was one of the greatest known fears every young student shared.

This particular student had heard of the saying: "Your first impressions are always your last."

There was no room to back out now.

The girl named Hanayagi walked forward awkwardly like a broken wind-up toy towards the center. She moved her eyes from the floor and immediately saw the countless faces looking at her. She jumped up like a scared cat and took a moment to compose herself.

"M-My name i-is Hanayagi Ri-Ri-Rinko." She bowed. "I just arrived here in Academy City only recently. Nice to meet you all."

She finally said it. Her attention went back to the homeroom teacher, hoping for a chance to get out of the spotlight as soon as possible. If she were asked to give a description of her interests and hobbies,it would prolong her time as the center of attention.

"Now then…" Komoe clapped her hand and smiled. "Please take that seat behind Kamijou-chan."

The girl felt an enormous weight shuffled her feet in an instant and took her seat beside the absent minded-looking boy with the spiky hair.

The teacher was about to begin her class when the classroom door slid wide open, and a pair of students, Aogami and Fukiyose, stepped inside. Needless to say, the two got a minor scolding from their teacher.

"You must be the transfer student they mentioned." Fukiyose approached the newcomer once the class was over. "Nice to meet you, Hanayagi-san. My name is Fukiyose Seiri."

"O-oh… Nice to me you too, Fukiyose-san. I am Hanayagi Rinko." The girl stood up abruptly and gave a small bow.

"But it is kinda strange that we're getting a transfer so late in the season." Aogami looked on over to Tsuchimikado and Kamijou standing beside him "Don't you guys find it weird? "

The two merely shrugged as if it couldn't be helped.

"Well, this kind of development wouldn't happen without its own reason. You guys don't think she's some kind of agent from a super secret organization?" Aogami's expression drastically changed into something .

"You mean like the one from the manga you were reading? Well if she did have some kind of outrageous power, Academy City will only make her feel at home." The blonde boy wearing sunglasses merely shrugged.

In order to welcome the new student, Fukiyose Seiri made the decision to help her become accustomed to the class. The rest of the students around didn't object and soon joined her.

At some point, meat was mentioned. That was when Kamijou Touma had a bad feeling. Another voice then talked about a new restaurant which just opened up yesterday. It was here that Kamijou decided to stop the growing momentum. But then yakiniku suddenly popped up in the conversation. Yakiniku was expensive.

Kamijou was allergic to that. Therefore he let out another voice of disapproval, but the flow of the conversation became as strong as a raging ravine, and a plan came together. Today, after school, the class was going to eat outside with the new transfer student Hanayagi Rinko.

Kamijou let out a crying wail.

The new student was oblivious and only looked on smiling while hiding her confusion as to was going on.

But later that day, the class did go out, or at least those who could make it. Komoe-sensei still had to do some paperwork and told them that she would catch up.

So, Kamijou, Fukiyose, Tsuchimikado, Aogami, and the others threaded through a snowy street that was blanket by snow on both sides. The freezing temperature posed somewhat as a hindrance.

"I can't believe you guys talked me into this!" yelled out the pointy-haired boy.

"Don't cry into my ears. The climate is bad enough," complained Aogami who was shivering under his thick coat. "I absolutely hate this freaking cold. It'd better if they just canceled school altogether so I can lie inside my kotatsu all day."

"This is rare. I've never seen Aogami-kun hating on something so much." Himegami looked toward Fukiyose.

The girl only shrugged and rewrapped her scarf. "He's been like that since this morning. Apparently, cold is his worst enemy." Himegami and Hanayagi who stood next to them looked on with pity.

Hanayagi rubbed her mitts together and wondered what kind of technologically advanced restaurant they will arrive at. Up until that point, the majority of the places she had seen looked ordinary, not a hint of flying cars or teleportation devices.

Regardless, she was grateful to everyone. They let their feet fend off the snow, making their way towards the restaurant that had red paper lanterns glowing by the entrance, where they will have a fun time, where Fukiyose, Himegami, and Kamijou Touma will make fast friends with her.

* * *

Misaka Worst stayed in high school mode the entire day until dinner. The two old women of the household were giving her curious looks while Accelerator didn't look her way at all, cause if he did, some random part of her uniform would be lifted up to show off a portion of skin for that boy.

But the clone delighted on the annoyed expression he made. It was like chocolate pudding to her.

She pranced around the living room, ignoring the sulking child hiding around the corner who wanted to try out a high school uniform too, even though it was fairly cold to be wearing such flimsy clothing.

It did not take long for her to get bored of the act and sit down at the sofa where Kikyou was busy organising her files on the small table at the center in order to prepare for a lecture. Worst remembered the woman was able to land a teaching job at a university.

"Hmmm... I can't decide on the approach I should take." The woman murmured as she glanced around her teaching materials. "It's only the first lesson, so I shouldn't start them with something too complex. They're kids who know nothing about neurology after all."

"Just go with introducing that segment over there with the three main graphs," Worst commented offhandedly as she turned on the TV. "Go work on your foundations one by one or else you'll overload their brains."

Kikyou looked up, slightly impressed. "You're quite knowledgeable."

"Naturally. I've been stuck in this place for a long ass time. Your notes are all over the place, and I've always had to pick them up and take quick glances from them. Also, I get all kinds of unnecessary information from the Misaka Network."

"Hmmm... I see, you'll make a good assistant in this case. Here, take some of these files and organize them please."

Misaka Worst shrugged. "Kind of a hassle, but I've done nothing at all today."

"Are you excited about going to your new high school?"

"Not really. I'm just going along with it cause it's so boring here with that brat. Speaking of which, didn't Number One attend high school before the project ended?"

"He was enrolled at Nagatenjouki, yes, but I can't say for certain if he did attend that school. I think he mentioned to me once a long time ago how he just received a letter of acceptance and their uniform."

Misaka Worst perked up suddenly when she heard that. "He wore something dumb and embarrassing besides that washed out sweater of his? I've gotta see this now! Right now!"

"He probably threw that uniform away the moment he saw it. Well, you can always pester him about it or rummage through his old stuff for it."

The next morning, large bags could be seen underneath Misaka Worst's eyes from staying up all night looking for something to . Her overall stance took a drastic downturn from her obnoxious self yesterday. Accelerator frowned when he noticed this. He instantly remembered how weird she acted last night, going through things she shouldn't have. When they finished their breakfast, Yomikawa went down to prepare the car.

The drive was completely uneventful. Accelerator was yawning in the back seat beside Misaka Worst who looked dejected as her new uniform was hidden by a thick coat due to the cold.

Yomikawa all the while was grinning as she kept glancing at the youngsters at the back, despite the fact that Accelerator stubbornly didn't change his usual clothes. What he wore on the first day was not exactly an issue though. The school was very lax with the student's attire after all.

When they arrived at A Certain High School, the delinquent clone's eyes lit up a little even with it being murky and evil. Once they got off, Yomikawa led them first towards the faculty office for some minor preparations.

It was there that Yomikawa noticed her colleagues, Tsukuyomi Komoe and Oyafune Suama.

"I'm afraid we have a problem, Yomikawa-san." The latter spoke up. She had a troubled expression written all over her face. "There was a problem with the registration." She glanced at the queer boy then retracted herself when his intimidating look stabbed at her.

"What do you mean? I thought the paperwork we sent was processed without a hitch."

Accelerator and Misaka Worst watched her go over to where the rest of the teachers stood. They looked at each other with puzzled glances and quietly waited at the other side of the room.

"What do you suppose they are talking about?" Worst was the first to interrupt the silence. Her finger twiddled with the body of his cane, hoping to unscrew something out by accident and make him stumble, but the boy paid her no mind.

"Who knows," he replied with the same old dispassionate voice and turned his attention away. He cared little for the outcome of what was going to happen. The teachers could handle whatever this issue was, especially Yomikawa. He did not have faith in her. Not even close. But this dilemma was not for him to solve, it was her's. If her plan failed because of her own blunder, then he could do nothing about it and just return to sleeping all day.

They waited for a few minutes before Yomikawa returned.

"Well it looks like Accelerator's admittance ran into some trouble." The lady gave a dry laugh as if it was not at all a big deal. "But it seems that Worst can go on ahead with Suama-sensei."

"Suama-sensei?" The girl repeated as if trying to register an irritating alien code into her brain.

Yomikawa noticed that the white-haired boy was shooting glares at her, not that because he was let down at being able to attend school, but because all the trouble he went through was for nothing, although it was her who did most of the work. In any case, he had resigned himself despite the trouble only to be denied in the end.

However, the situation was far from being over.

"Don't fret over this small thing" She walked on over to the boy. "I'll be able to solve this no time."

"Hmph... I take it that you have something in mind?"

"Of course! There's a place we need to go to first though." She turned to the clone who was chuckling at the poor boy.

"Ahem!" The tiny teacher suddenly interrupted them.

Yomikawa and Accelerator turned their questioning looks at her.

"If I may suggest something," she said as if introducing a nice idea. "Since Yomikawa-sensei needs to teach a lesson soon, why not let the two of them have their first day right now? I see no problem with Accelerator-chan attending even if it's not official yet. He's still a potential student after all."

As expected, the school was without a doubt casual with things as always.

On a different note, Accelerator let out a disgusted look when he heard his name being called out in a cute way.

"I see, that does sound good." Yomikawa grinned. "Well, how about it, you two?"

Misaka Worst, the representation of the terrible side of the Misaka Network, fell back as she was suddenly stricken by that good, motherly vibe of her landlord. She then retreated back to hide behind that troublesome boy. "I am not very confident attending this happy-go-lucky school after all, even with my source of malevolent inspiration next to me, says Misaka. If anything, I'd like to postpone this crazy adventure and go back to the apartment for some mandarin oranges."

"Stop being such an annoying brat already." The irritated boy shoved her hard towards the nervous teacher wearing glasses.

Misaka Worst rarely interacted with normal people. Her sheltered and enclosed life prevented her from making connections to the world beyond the dark side. It was no wonder she was acting like a scared little bunny at this point in time. She nervously glared at that average-looking teacher, who was just about as harmless as a pigeon. "I am Misaka Worst, an existence completely resembling the dark side of the Misaka Network. I am *not* pleased to meet you."

"O-oh... I shall be your homeroom teacher starting today. My name is Oyafune Suama. Nice to meet you?" The teacher looked at her with a dubious face before turning to Yomikawa. "Is she alright on the head? It seems like she's got eighth grade syndrome or something."

"Hahaha! Don't mind her, she's always like that." She gave the other teacher a playful, yet powerful slap on the back, causing her to stumble a little bit, but the teacher who doubled as an Anti-skill officer didn't notice this.

Oyafune and Worst left the office and headed towards the classroom.

"I guess, that's our cue to get going. What a pain this plan of yours turned out to be." Accelerator picked up his cane and lazily followed the other two.

"Hold on, Accelerator," Yomikawa called out. "Let's meet up back here once your lessons are all over."

"Hmm?" The boy took a sidelong glance at her.

"It's about your admission. We should fix it once all of us are free."

He clicked his tongue but made no remarks to object.

"Oh, and by the way, congrats on entering your new school life!" Her voice rang like a melodic chime. "Go out there and have fun!"

This signalled the start of his ordinary school life. Much like how the season switched gears, his days of clashing with threatening enemies were about to be put to rest.

Suama stopped just before entering the classroom. The two eccentric delinquents behind her gave puzzling glances.

"U-uhmm..." She mumbled, trying to devise the right words to say.

"Hey, isn't that what they call the homeroom classroom? Let's just get in already." Misaka Worst said in annoyance.

"W-well... before that, there is something that's been deeply troubling me..."

"What is it?" The two said in unison.

She fiddled with her fingers while hesitating. "Why are you kids using such fake names?"

"They're real names!" Once again, the two said in unison but more pissed.

The teacher made a tiny squeak and finally retreated to her classroom.

The class inside stopped their chatting and acknowledged her.

"So class, we'll be having two transfer students joining us for the rest of the term." She turned her pale face to the entrance. "Please step forward you two and introduce yourselves."

* * *

A scary-looking student was good at not letting the others have peace of mind during their lessons.

His crimson red glare was effective in staving off their curious glances.

That part of the classroom had become a small void which they avoided.

In truth, he was just absolutely bored.

A couple of classes in, he was barely awake with his feet resting on his desk. Even the teachers avoided him cause he seemed like a weird anomaly which was on the fence between imagination and reality.

On a side note, Misaka Worst was also asleep, but her existence was completely overshadowed.

However, in one brief period in between classes, a single girl stood up.

This girl had medium-length hair and looked as if she had found a brand new toy to play with.

"Hiya!" She stopped by his side. "I noticed you've been ignored this entire time, so I came to see what's up. Huh? Why aren't you wearing a uniform? Aren't those just your regular clothes?"

"H-Hold on, Mari, that's hell you're walking into!" Another girl sensed what was happening and stood up to intervene.

The girl known as Mari let out a laugh. "Come on, you guys are exaggerating way too much. Sure he may look like a serial killer, but he can't be all that bad right?"

"I can hear you two, you know." The boy in question let out a comment with one eye out.

"You don't know what you're saying, Mari!" The other girl grabbed her friend's shoulder. "Don't you remember the rumors? Just look at his features."

Mari stared at Accelerator with her chestnut eyes.

They were all silent.

"Hmmm..." She looked lost in her thoughts. It seemed she finally understood the gravity of the situation. "No, I don't get it at all. You're weird, Mika."

The people at the scene, apart from the oblivious girl, felt a blunt weight suddenly pull at their heads.

"You've got to be kidding me, Mari! Have you never heard of the white-haired, red-eyed demon of Academy City from all those rumors we heard?!" Mika retorted.

"Eh? But he looks nothing like what I imagined."

"That's because you're mind is a fantasy land!"

While the two were having a lively chat, the troublemaker clone suddenly popped out of the other side of the boy's desk.

"Look at the popular one here." She snickered. "Must be great being popular with high school girls instead of children for a change, huh Number One?"

"All of you are so noisy, I thought some kind of drug was injected into the classroom."

"Anyway..." Mari continued while her friend tried to protest from the back. "My name's Mari. Nice to meet you, Accelerator and... Misaka Worst?"

The clone fell back deeper into the other side of the desk to escape that goody goody smile.

Accelerator finally turned his attention her way. "So? I'm guessing you didn't come here for just some idle chatter."

Mari let out another cheeky smile, complete with tongue sticking out. "You sound like a protagonist from a really dark movie. I'd like to be in one someday though. Wait, wait, that's not why I came here."

"You look awfully chummy. How suspicious." The delinquent clone was relentless in glaring at the ordinary high school girl.

"Hm? I don't see a problem with being friendly, do you? Ah! By the way, I forgot to return the class record to Suama-sensei." She turned towards Accelerator. "You don't mind accompanying me eh, Number One?"

The boy suddenly looked far more awake now than he had ever before on that day.

"Well come on, then." Mari strode forward.

The outside of their classroom was void of disruptions. Frost covered the majority of the windows there from one end of the building to the other.

Mari wrapped herself with her long, red scarf. She wore the same uniform as any other student in this school, a very average navy blue uniform. A blue record book was securely held to her modest chest.

Accelerator shut the classroom door behind him. "I'm not surprised in the least bit. After all, Tsuchimikado is in this school."

"Hmm... I don't know who this Tsuchimikado is. I called out to you cause I just needed someone to come with me to the teacher's room."

"That other girl you were talking with earlier was free, wasn't she?"

"That's true..." She hummed, keeping the book tight against her chest. "But not often can I play with the transfer student. And... it's not often I meet someone who is well versed in my former craft."

"I see, you're quite knowledgeable about this." That boy casually walked alongside her, keeping their language at a safe level.

The girl pouted and puffed her cheeks up. "Oh, honestly. I was so surprised when I saw you two became transfer students. At first, I imagined that the dark side sent hitmen or harriers to bind me back. But I didn't sense anything from you two, so I thought it was only a coincidence."

"Hohh... Well don't you have a story," commented the boy, not the least bit impressed. "A former agent right? Won your freedom by doing the something impossible?"

The girl's eyes widened. "Huh? How do you know that?"

"Idiot. I've seen a glimpse of your records before."

"And I know you, Mr. Honor Student." Mari smiled. "Feels strange living like this doesn't it? Like you are watching someone else's life through their eyes."

Accelerator remained silent. Their walk was very much like the picture of an innocent high school girl and boy. One that was painted over a crude and twisted landscape.

They returned from the staff room. Mari acted as if nothing had happened while Accelerator was the same as usual.

Misaka Worst remained slumped against her desk, flipping over her brand new phone which Kikyou had provided for her since a student needed some way to contact their guardian, or to blend in with the other students. The boy passed by her and returned to his seat, thinking about this was going to be his routine almost every day for the rest of his adolescent life. Did he like it or did he hate it? He couldn't quite make a verdict yet. The school life didn't at all seemed like he imagined. It felt as if he was just in another weird experiment, but in the presence of young adults like him.

Maybe that was going to change as days come by.

That aside, he was the strongest Level 5 in Academy City. It was a good thing none of the students here recognized him as such, or there would be trouble. Although, that rumor Mari's friend mentioned seemed to be concerning. He wasn't sure how much detailed or accurate this rumor was. He'll have to ask that girl tomorrow.

* * *

Misaka Worst was grinning when classes were over. Accelerator picked up his cane, but the girl remained orbiting his awkward strides.

"So did that girl give you her number?" She said with the most delinquent smile. "Are you finally going to graduate from your lackluster manhood?"

The boy sighed and put on his usual contemptuous expression. "Yes."

"Wha-wha-whaaaaat?! I didn't expect you would, not in a million years! You've got to be joking! I'll thrash your room if you did!" Tears streaming, the clone let out a childish tantrum he had not seen in her before. She gripped of his shirt before she shaking him a little.

Surprised, Accelerator wound up taking a step back and fell backwards. He wound up pinned on the floor with her "Ouch! You damn clone, I was only fooling you. Now get the hell off me!"

"Is that true?"

Accelerator kicked her to the side and brushed himself off.

"Well fine then, I'll believe you just this one time," she replied sounding relieved. "But know that I won't allow myself to be left out just like that."

He ignored her and started for the staff room, as agreed upon by Yomikawa.

* * *

District 1 was where a majority of the city's administrative offices were located.

Misaka Worst went home by herself while Yomikawa Aiho and Accelerator.

"Why are we in this district again?" Accelerator said dryly as he watched the scenery.

Yomikawa peered through the rearview mirror for a moment as she said, "District 1 holds the majority of Academy City's administrative institutions. You know that much, right?"

"Of course, but it mainly focuses on the city's management and logistics. I don't see how going here would resolve our problem in any way," he replied dispassionately.

"District 1 may be focused on the general workings of the city, but that means that it also needs a connection to the education system. How else will they express their governance over the schools and educational facilities here?"

"That's true." Accelerator immediately saw what that meant. The city's land and urban structure was a resource in and of itself. In order for the numerous schools residing in Academy City to share and use the city's resources, it must first work with the city's departments which presides in the central hub of District 1. There was a limit to the influence of each and every school's influence, no matter how big and prestigious it was. Of course there are some with such a large influence that it allowed for a bigger area to be established specifically for their needs. The School Garden was a prime example of this, and mainly due to prestigious schools like Tokiwadai which allowed for such a thing to be constructed.

"The problem we have right now does not fall closely on your previous school's jurisdiction. It is more of an issue with the system connecting to Academy City's own student database and Nagatenjouki. That very system can be found in District 1," said Yomikawa as she continued to drive through the streets.

It was still the middle of winter. Accelerator could hardly see anything from the frost covering the car's windows.

Yet the landscape was changed all of a sudden. Their surroundings were replaced with even taller buildings, all having distinct colors and outer walls.

Although peaceful, much of the activities inside was full of strenuous research in order to stretch the reaches of science. If not, to create another perfect specimen, another Accelerator in a sense.

Much of the place was full of adults that it made Accelerator sick.

They stopped at a lot next to an office building surrounded by a wide concrete walkway.

As they both got off, Accelerator observed the area and scowled. "Why are we at this place?"

"The Nagatenjouki data center?" The woman replied with a grin as she took a coat from the passenger seat in order to put above her tracksuit. "There's no way to access the records of a highly classified esper like you at a mere high school computer like ours, so we must seek the assistance of the administrators themselves. It shouldn't come as a surprise that special permissions must be held in managing your information."

"And you were able to contact the ones with those specific permissions? Here I thought you were just all brawn." He asked in a dispassionate tone.

"Well, it wasn't easy wrestling custodianship from your former scientists. I got hassled by a few shady people for weeks. But once I asked around and pulled some strings, I got them to back down. Don't underestimate the authority of Anti-Skill, remember that." Yomikawa smiled. The victory over that part of his darkness was not just for her, but for the single step of achieving a positive future for him. After all, it was obvious that the previous school, Nagatenjouki Academy, cared little about the boy's welfare and school life. What was essential to them was having the Level 5 in their register, to be recognized as a school housing a Level 5 despite the fact that they were not the ones that produced it. However, the sheer recognition was a great boost to the institute.

Accelerator sighed but was relieved those bastards turned their heels.

He let himself be led by the woman towards the front entrance. A vast floor space greeted them inside. It was a busy place full of adults and students walking about and working behind the desks.

"Where to?" asked the boy.

Yomikawa looked up thoughtfully before answering. "Well first we need to go to the reception, and then we'll head to their office. Usually, there are papers and request forms which need to be filled up, but I had a friend take care of that."

"Great, more walking," he replied with a sarcastic tone.

"Sorry, bare with me for now." Although she wasn't terribly worried.

Their paces did not quite match, and Accelerator found himself trailing away while Yomikawa reached the reception first.

In an instant, he felt something bump against him from behind. He lurched forward, finding the support in his cane until he found stability. He irritatedly glanced back to see who was the bastard trying to pick a fight with him. But what he saw was just a mere woman who looked like a total klutz.

The woman looked shaken. She adjusted her red framed glasses and bowed her head without looking. "O-oh, I'm sorry. I didn't see you there." Without waiting for a reply, she rushed off towards a corner of the reception.

Accelerator took a moment to adjust his cane and posture. He took a small step and then stopped. His eyes stared straight ahead. Something odd was there, or rather, something which compelled him to look forward. His attention was directed towards that woman who bumped into him, not because he knew her, but because of what she revealed in her panic.

When she glanced back, the boy had made eye contact with her. That brief moment was enough to catch her expression. Her face contorted with fright as if she felt something wrong about him. It was as if she came to realize that she bumped into one of the evils of the world. It was the kind of look he knew all too well.

He narrowed his eyes as he watched her run into the crowds and disappear. He thought for a long moment to chase after her in order to find out what exactly was her issue with him. It was possible if it was him. Yet, there was no real reason to. An incident had not occurred, a fight had not broken out, merely a wordless exchange. It was not something to get worked up over.

He walked up beside Yomikawa and yawned.

"Hm? Are you sleepy even already?" The woman shot him a questioning look as she finished filling up a form at the counter.

He noticed and merely shrugged, discarding the thoughts he had earlier. Although there was one thing that remained stuck in his mind: A rumor of the white-haired, red-eyed Level 5.

* * *

 **END AN:**

 **To answer some of you:**

 **Shining: Yes, getting shot in the head does create problems.**

 **Succesful World: This has always been my mind when watching Index. How come Accel never causes a ruckus when he's out on the streets? Although he does get recognized by the delinquents challenging him early in the series, but not regular students or people the likes of Misaka Mikoto. So my idea is that he keeps a low profile, but people who actively seek him out are able to find out who he is.**

 **Je11yfish: I'm glad you think so, and I hope that I'm able to meet your expectations.**

 **This marks the end for this chapter. Chapter 3 expected date will probably be 2020 lol.**


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